


Once We Were: A Collection

by Raineishida



Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Cole is always going to be friendship before you yell at me, Cole is perfect, F/M, Gen, I don't want to talk about Solas, I romanced Cassandra first and wrote the two fics before I finished the game, Please keep spoilers out of the comments, Spoilers apply
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-01-29
Updated: 2015-01-28
Packaged: 2018-03-09 13:28:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,273
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3251459
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Raineishida/pseuds/Raineishida
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A collection of short fics that don't really deserve an entire entry on their own.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Burdens

**Author's Note:**

> Chapter 1 is about Female Lavellan and Solas, post breakup, assuming she left Cole as a spirit and that they are close.
> 
> I don't want to talk about how much this hurts.

She had grown used to waking up in the middle of the night to find Solas in bed with her, asleep with his arm around her middle.

Now she woke alone, the darkness heavy. 

It wasn’t more than a few days until she woke, startled, to find Cole spooned up behind her, his arm around her waist, his face buried against her back, cheeks streaked with tears. When she turned to face him, she brushed his cheeks with her fingertips and frowned. 

“Cole?”

“So much pain,” he whispered. “I want to help, why won’t you let me help you?” Fresh tears welled in his eyes. 

Lavellan sighed and stroked Cole’s cheek. “Cole… Some things, no matter how sad, shouldn’t be forgotten. I don’t want to forget him. He is important to me. He always will be.”

“But he made you sad,” Cole explained. “Forgetting is easier.”

“It is,” she said. “But love isn’t easy.” She sighed and wrapped her arms around his neck, cuddling close to him. “You are too sweet. Thank you for caring about me.”

Cole sighed, tears still falling as he felt her sadness continue to pulse through her veins. 

“You don’t have to carry your sadness alone.”

Lavellan leaned up and kissed his cheek gently. “I’m not.”


	2. Rise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 2 features Cassandra thinking about the offer to become Divine, assuming she's been romanced by the Inquisitor.

Would the Maker disapprove? No, He couldn’t. Something this beautiful couldn’t be displeasing to the Maker, despite her vows. But what did it matter? She’d served the Maker her entire life, and it had only brought her heartbreak, chaos, and often ruin. The Maker had brought her the Inquisitor, and the Inquisitor had pursued her fervently, something she had to admit, she hadn’t expected. 

She didn’t complain, however. She had to provide him with a challenge, and so she had, expecting him to give up, but he hadn’t. He had romanced her fully, fulfilled every challenge she had laid out before him, and she gave in, charmed entirely by his devotion to her.

She’d been too distracted to get emotional the first time they’d been together, but time had passed and she’d gotten to know him more. And now it was more than personal. Now there was a timeline.

She had apologized once the tears welled in her eyes, but he didn’t question it. He wiped her tears with gentle thumbs and held her close to him, knowing not entirely why she was upset, but understanding enough to comfort her.

She knew he loved her. He’d told her the first night they’d spent together, and often afterwards. She believed him. She didn’t know how to return his words because she wasn’t sure if she knew what true love was, but if this was it - despair at the thought of leaving him, anxiety over what should have been a simple decision - then she was in deep.

While he slept at night, she often found herself wrapped in a blanket, leaning against the balcony and looking at the mountains, at peace for as long as she could manage. He awoke one night and found her there, and knew what she was troubled by, and his kisses brought her back to him, gave her focus, and hope that they might be alright.

What her decision was in regards becoming Divine she hadn’t decided, but knew people were waiting on her. Sometimes the pressure of it was too much and she would hide. The Inquisitor always found her, hiding on the balcony, wrapped in a blanket from the bed he had invited her to share with him.

He never pressured her to come out of hiding, but instead sat next to her in silence, pulling her into his side, thankful for a moment of peace they could share together.

Maybe she would leave his side and become Divine. Maybe. Not not now.

And for that moment, she breathed in the scent of him and felt his warmth, and knew that was all that mattered.


	3. More or Less a Templar

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 3 is a little conversation held between Cassandra and Iron Bull in regards to Cass being approached about being Divine. (I didn't handle it well on my first playthrough, I couldn't fathom the idea of losing her)

“What’s on your mind, Seeker?”

“Who says I’m-”

“That eyebrow thing you do. And the Boss isn’t speaking to any of us.”

“One might argue that I _always_ do this ‘eyebrow thing’.”

“You do,” Bull admitted, shrugging with a faint smile. “But I can tell the difference between normal-Cass’s-resting bitch face and Cass-with-something-on-her-mind bitch face.”

Cassandra crossed her arms and frowned, if possible, deeper. “You can?”

“I’ve learned by watching you, yeah. You seem surprised.”

“No, I just… Didn’t think you cared all that much.”

“Let me put it this way, Seeker. You love the Boss. I care about the Boss. Boss loves you. I’ve fought by your side and developed a deep respect for your ability to kick serious ass. So yeah. You could say I care.”

Cassandra’s mouth looked like it might have tried to form a smile, but it was quickly lost. 

“Talk to me,” Bull insisted. “We’re friends, you can talk to me about shit.” He patted the log next to him. “At least get some of it off your chest while the Boss is off doing whatever the hell he’s doing.”

“Taking a break, probably. Staying away from me, more like.”

“What could you possibly have done?” Bull asked, pulling a bottle of liquor from his pack and offering her some. She shook her head and watched him open the bottle with his teeth.

“I’m sure by now you’ve heard I’m being considered for Divine,” she said softly. Bull nodded. 

“Yeah, go on.”

“It’s upset him.”

“Of course it has. Boss pined after you a long time. Finally gets you, then finds out he might lose you. ‘Course he’s upset.”

“I haven’t decided if I’m...going yet.”

“Yes, you have. Otherwise it wouldn’t be bothering you so much.”

“And he...knows?”

“Sure he does. It’s still bothering you, which tells him you’re not set on staying with him. But I get it. You want to change the world from within the Chantry. If anyone can do it, it’s you, Cass. You’re less shit than the usual Chantry folk I meet.”

Cassandra chuckled. “I suppose that’s a sort of backhanded compliment.”

Iron Bull laughed. “I guess it is. So let’s be honest. What’s keeping you from going? Besides the obvious,” he asked, gesturing to his lap.

Cassandra blushed. “That’s…”

“A valid reason,” Bull argued. “Aren’t you more or less a Templar?”

She lowered her gaze to the ground and sighed. “I have...broken my vows, if that’s what you’re wondering.”

Bull grinned. “Was it worth it?”

Cassandra hesitated, then returned his smile, hers a little sly. “Absolutely.”

He clapped her on the back and laughed. “That’s my girl!”

She returned her gaze to the ground, her blush deepening. 

“Listen, Seeker. Can I just give you my thoughts without bias?”

“I would be glad to hear your thoughts.”

“You’ve served the Chantry your entire life, right? Isn’t it time you lived for _you_?” 

She met his eye then, her own startled at his admission. Maybe he was right.

“Wh…”

“I mean it, Cass. If you want to just stay with him, do so. You created this Inquisition, why can’t you decide what to do with it once it’s over?”

“You’re right,” she whispered. “I should...talk to him about it. See what he wants.”

“Don’t be an idiot, Cass. He wants you. The idea of you leaving is killing him, can you honestly not see that?”

She stood, wringing her hands together. “Thank you, Bull. You have been...you _are_ a good friend to me.”

“My pleasure, Seeker. I’ll tell you the same thing I told the Boss. You ever need an ass kicked, I’m with you.”

She gave him an emotional smile before heading out of the camp.


End file.
